Poll bets, others to sign covenant

Officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), different churches and the candidates for the May 13 elections will hold a covenant signing on Monday.

With this, Cebu City North District Election Officer Marchel Sarno has urged all candidates in the upcoming elections to sign the covenant agreement to ensure the peaceful elections this year.

“The signing will be held on Monday at 9 a.m. at CCPO. It is better nga they will participate aning covenant signing,” he told The FREEMAN.

Sarno said the matter was discussed during the Cebu City Joint Security meeting last Wednesday.

The signing will be participated in by the police, Comelec-Cebu City, church representatives, candidates, and other stakeholders.

Sarno said he is hoping that all candidates, whether they are running as independent or members of national parties, to participate in the covenant signing to show their goodwill in the poll.

“Ang objective ani is kinahanglan mo-abide sila sa tanang rules kay usually man gud, kining mga politiko, mura’g mamintaha. Kinahanglan nga dili mag-away ug dili mo result to other dirty tactics,” he added.

Aside from the covenant signing, Sarno said the Comelec, with the help of CCPO, will conduct a 24/7 checkpoint in the city.

He, however, did not divulge the areas where these officials will be deployed.

In the Cebu City Joint Security meeting, the security concerns for the elections were also brought up.

As of yesterday, Sarno said it is not yet certain as to the number of police that will be deployed per polling precinct.

Sarno said he is hoping that the number of policemen that will be deployed will depend on how big the polling precincts are.

Other matters discussed during the meeting include the deployment of the election paraphernalia, deployment of teachers, and the ballot box.

There will also be an “Operation Baklas,” an initiative to remove the tarpaulins that are installed in prohibited areas, he said.

Sarno added it is prohibited to post any election propaganda on trees, lampposts, waiting shed, traffic signs, sidewalk, public buildings, terminals, airports, seaports, center islands, barangay halls, health centers, among others. —